1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, according to an image forming apparatus of copying machines and the like, an imaging device is provided, which performs an imaging so as to enable a viewing of an electrostatic latent image formed on an image supporting body. A toner refilling device is also provided on the imaging device. The toner refilling device comprises a container to refill a toner. The container provided on the toner refilling device is detachably attached. Thus, a configuration is made so that a container that has become empty may be removed and can be replaced with a new container having a full toner. (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H9-106160 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).)
For example, according to Patent Document 1, the attaching of the container (a “toner bottle” in Patent Document 1) is done by inserting a container, comprising a cylindrical case, along an a shaft center direction with respect to the main body of the apparatus, while, during the final end part of the insertion operation, an insertion is made against a spring provided to a rotation driving part of the container, and an end surface side of the container at an opposite side of the insertion side is latched with a stopper formed with a plate spring. Further, the removing of a container that has become empty is done by pressing the stopper and releasing the engaged condition, utilizing a repulsion force of the spring to make the container pop out, and by pulling out the popped out container.
However, the detaching of the conventional container from the imaging device requires a releasing operation of the stopper. In addition, the container is pulled out by utilizing the repulsion force of the spring. Thus, the operation becomes complex. Moreover, when the repulsion force of the spring becomes small, a section of the container popping out becomes small. In this way, there may be difficulty pulling out the container. Furthermore, when a spring with a strong repulsion force is used, the stress on the container being attached becomes large. As a result, a spring with a strong repulsion force cannot be used. Further, when one tries to pull out the container without using the repulsion force of the spring, a complicated detaching mechanism needs to be provided. As a result, there is a disadvantage in that the equipment becomes too large.
Considering the problems described above, the present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus which allows a container to be pulled out reliably, and allows a latching of the container and the releasing of the container to be performed reliably.